News

CCI Radio Hour: May 18, 2015

Bob speaks with William Godwin of One Chance Illinois, a coalition of organizations (Including the Catholic Conference of Illinois) advocating the Illinois Kids Campaign, an initiative seeking to improve education in the state. The initiative would allow an income tax credit for corporations and individuals making donations to foundations that grant scholarships to low- and middle-income students to attend private and Catholic schools. It also would increase the individual education expense tax credit from $500 to $750. Dr. Stuart Gitlow, president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, joins Bob to talk about the slippery slope of medical marijuana. The state has approved a medical marijuana pilot program for 36 medical conditions, but prescriptions have yet to be written since cultivation centers and dispensaries are just getting off the ground. However, an additional 11 medical conditions are under consideration. Fr. Larry Sullivan of Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Chicago talks about the unique ministry of charity burials, and the possible loss of state funding for indigent burials in the upcoming fiscal year set to being July 1. Julie Anderson, founder of Communities and Relatives of Illinois Incarcerated Children, joins Bob to talk about the issue of resentencing hearings for juveniles sentenced to life without parole in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2012 ruling in Miller v. Alabama, which called such sentences "cruel and unusual punishment." The Illinois legislature is considering House Bill 2471, which calls for courts to consider a juvenile's potential for rehabilitation when imposing a sentence.